Quantcast
Channel: Features
Viewing all 61683 articles
Browse latest View live

RANKED: The 11 Best New Logos In Tech

0
0

new snapchat logo 2013It's interesting how much or how little a company's logo can tell you about the company itself.

In tech, a tiny app logo is often the first and only exposure millions of users will have to your company. Think how they look scrolling by in Google Play or the App Store.

And then there is Apple. Its early multicolored logo set the tone for how people felt about the company: it was whimsical and approachable, just like the Mac's graphical user interface.

The flat, monochrome Apple logo of today also reflects the values that we associate with the company, simple but sophisticated: it's trimmed down to the bare essentials while still retaining its form, like the incremental updates we see to the company's gadgets each year (at least, that's how Apple would like us to see them).

That's why it was amazing to see so many companies change their logos this year. From startups to the biggest players in the tech industry, a number of companies have altered the very image that most people associate with them in their minds. Sometimes such changes are a mistake, while others can change how people see a company. 

11. Google has demonstrated an across-the-board improvement in the design of its apps and services over the last few years. Their new logo reflects that, as it is simpler yet seems more professional than the one it replaces.



10. Yahoo is going through a vastly transformative period under the leadership of Marissa Mayer. As part of that change, the company unveiled an intriguing (if polarizing) new logo that feels both eccentric (differently sized "O"s!) and engineered.



9. While not a major change, removing the "gloss" effect and changing the font ever-so-slightly made Facebook's logo cleaner than ever.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Venmo's Office Space Is So Cool, Staffers Sometimes Hang Out There On The Weekends

0
0

venmo30.JPG

By now we hope you've heard of Venmo, the mobile payment company owned by eBay.

The app comes in handy when dining out with large groups. Once the bill comes, it's easy to figure out who owes what, and how everyone is going to pay.

We met with Venmo's co-founders, Andrew Kortina and Iqram Magdon-Ismail at the New York headquarters, located near the Flatiron building, to take an office tour and to hear more about Venmo as a company.

The office was decorated and styled by HomePolish and had tons of interesting details. There's even a stadium seating theater space where employees can kick back and relax. Some employees even come in on weekends or stay into the wee hours of the morning to hang out.

Venmo was founded in 2009. This is the reception area ...



It was acquired in 2012 by Braintree, another payments company, for $26 million.



Braintree was itself acquired by eBay earlier this year, for $800 million.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

13 Reasons You Should Ride Your Bike To Work

0
0

Citi Bike bicycle

Making New Year's resolutions to save money, get healthy, or cut your carbon footprint in 2014? You could hit all three by simply riding your bike to work.

Not only does biking have the potential to improve individuals' health, wealth, and standard of living, but the combination of more cyclists and fewer cars on the road could give the entire country a much-needed boost. 

Here are 13 reasons you should consider making biking to work a new habit in the new year:

It would make cycling safer for everyone.

Research shows that unlike cars, the more bicycles on the road, the safer it becomes for cyclists. 

"It's a virtuous cycle," Dr. Julie Hatfield, an injury expert from the University of New South Wales, says"The likelihood that an individual cyclist will be struck by a motorist falls with increasing rate of bicycling in a community. And the safer cycling is perceived to be, the more people are prepared to cycle."

It is vastly cheaper than driving. 

Due to rising fuel costs and tire upkeep, the cost of owning a car increased nearly 2% in 2012 to $8,946, according to AAA. 

It costs just $308 per year to keep bikes in shape — nearly 30 times less than cars, according to the Sierra Club. It says: "If American drivers were to make just one four-mile round trip each week with a bicycle instead of a car, they would save nearly 2 billion gallons of gas. At $4 per gallon, total savings would be $7.3 billion a year."

It's a free gym on wheels. 

On average, bicycle commuters lose 13 pounds in their first year of cycling alone.

"[Bike commuting] can be a very effective cardiovascular benefit," says Lisa Callahan, MD, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. "If you're overweight and start an exercise program, sometimes it's harder on your joints because you are overweight, so something like swimming or biking that's not pounding on the joints can be a good thing." 

You won't miss morning traffic jams.

Americans spend upwards of 25 minutes per day commuting to work and more than $700 per year simply burning fumes in traffic 

Cycling could help you get there faster for a lot less. 

"Half of the working population in the U.S. commutes five miles or less to work, with bike trips of three to five miles taking less time or the same amount of time as commuting by car," writes Kiplinger editor Amanda Lilly.

You don't even have to own a bike. 

There's been a wave of new bike share programs in major cities like Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and Miami, which typically allow riders 30 to 45 minutes of transportation for a small annual fee. 

When New York City's bike share launched in May, annual memberships cost $95 — about $10 less than subway commuters spend per month.

Women could use the extra bone support.

As women age, they become increasingly susceptible to bone deterioration through osteoporosis.

A team of researchers from a Swedish university found middle-aged women were less likely to sustain wrist fractures if they commuted by bike or participated in other physical activities like walking.

We could save hundreds of millions on health care expenses. 

"The most important socio-economic impact of cycling lies in the area of health care," says Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists

Nowhere is that more clear than in Portland, Ore. A study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health found that "during the next 30 years, Portland’s residents could save as much as $594 million in health care costs because of an investment into biking culture" and "fuel savings of $143 to $218 million." 

You inhale more harmful exhaust in your car than on a bike.

Though fuel emissions are bad news in general, drivers are actually more susceptible to harmful air than bicyclists. 

"Studies show you get the biggest hit of the nasties when you’re inside a car," notes the Grist's Umbra Frisk. "Sure, a personal Mobile Emissions Source [cars, for example] appears hermetic, but it’s an illusion: MES occupants are very close to sucking on the tailpipe of the MES just ahead of them. In a bus, riders’ lungs are a bit above these sources. And bikers and pedestrians are on the outskirts."

You're way more likely to get sick taking public transportation.

Fresh air does a body good. A study by the University of Nottingham found that public transit riders were "six times more likely to suffer from acute respiratory infections," the New York Daily News reports.

Supposedly, occasional riders were even more at risk. Another study found a host of illness-causing viruses lurking in passenger vehicles, including E. coli, salmonella, and campylobacter, according to Safetyissues.com.

Businesses will save millions in lost productivity.

A recent study by Dutch economic think tank TNO found people who commuted to work by bike were less likely to call in sick.

"Commuting to work by bicycle by just 1% could save [Denmark’s] employers approximately $34 million in lost productivity from absenteeism," Oregon state rep. Earl Blumenhauer writes in American Bicyclist"That’s assuming a workforce of 7.1 million people. The U.S. has more than 154 million people in its workforce."

Uncle Sam will pay you to bike to work.

Since January 2012, cyclist commuters have been entitled to a $20 per month tax-free reimbursement for bike-related expenses.

This applies to workers who bike at least three days per week to the office. Qualifying expenses include bike repairs and storage expenses, according to the National Center for Transit Research.

You'll never have to worry about a parking spot again.

Hundreds of major companies have entered the American League of Bicyclists' "Bicycle Friendly Business" program, and cities like New York require commercial office buildings by law to offer some sort of bike storage.

Otherwise, invest in a sturdy bike lock, and all you need is a spare bike rack or street sign to park your ride. Folding bikes are another useful option, as they can be packed into a bag and stashed easily under a desk or a closet. 

Because all of your excuses not to bike are lame.

We get it. Biking makes you sweat. Cab drivers are tyrants. You could smack into a car door and knock yourself out.

But hear us out. Start slowly. Buy a sturdy helmet, throw a change of clothes into your basket, or, better yet, leave some at the office. Research the safest bike route to take (Google Maps offers biking directions in most cities), and read up on the rules of the road for cyclists. 

Like any form of new exercise, chances are you'll need time to get in a good groove with your two-wheeled commute. Once you do, trust us — you'll be hooked. 

Join the conversation about this story »

10 Real Wall Street Stories That Should Be Movies

0
0

icahn brooksMartin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" is giving moviegoers around the world a stylized glimpse into the corruption and opulence that can plague the finance world.

Its loads of sex, drugs, and money have critics wondering if Wolf's attempt at a morality tale is just one loud cheer for gonzo greed.

It isn't the first time audiences have had this debate either. From "Trading Places" to "American Psycho," Hollywood loves examining what goes on behind the scenes on Wall Street.

But there are some "based-on-a-true-story" tales that have yet to become blockbusters.

So here are the 10 true Wall Street sagas — and the corresponding must-cast actors — that should be movies.

10. 'The Rise and Fall of Jon Corzine.' Corzine went from top dog at Goldman Sachs to a senator and governor to seeing his firm MF Global collapse in spectacular fashion.



Starring Charles Dance (AKA Tywin Lannister)



9. 'The Collapse of Bear Stearns.' The top brass at Bear were known for their wild boys club, but it all came crashing down when JP Morgan almost bought the bank for $2 a share as the market crashed.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Attention Gentlemen — Cuffed Pants Are Officially Back In Style

0
0

High-rise pants men's fashion New York Fashion Week Spring 2014

Men's pants haven't seen a good cuff — neatly creased and sewn into place — since '80s prep style went out of vogue, according to The Wall Street Journal's Steve Garbarino

But earlier this year, the spring runways were loaded with "turnups," and not ones that were just casually rolled in a prepster style. Hermès, Canali, Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren all featured cuffed pants exposing the man's ankle, mostly using "trim, tapered silhouettes and hems that stopped jauntily near the ankle" to avoid the dad look, Garbarino wrote.

The look majorly benefitted from a manly endorsement from the latest Bond: Daniel Craig wore cuffed, slim-fit pants by Tom Ford in last year's "Skyfall."

Off-the-rack designer suits rarely include cuffed pants, but men who go for tailor-made suits have the option. Modern cuffed pants look best in summer-weight fabrics with flat-fronts or nearly flat single-pleat styles, according to designers.

But as Canali communications director Elisabetta Canali warns, cuffs aren't for every man. 

"They're a distinctive sign of elegance that adds neatness to the look," she told Garbarino, but "a cuffed pant looks more refined on tall and long-limbed men. It's a matter of proportion."

SEE ALSO: Upscale Men's Shops Are Changing To Attract Younger Shoppers

Join the conversation about this story »

MICHAEL JORDAN: How The Best Player Ever Spends His Millions

0
0

michael jordan bobcats owner

Michael Jordan hasn't played an NBA game in more than 10 years, but he's still one of the highest-earning athletes in sports.

In retirement he's a sneaker mogul, an NBA owner, and a spokesperson for a variety of products.

He makes $80 million a year, and spends it on houses, planes, boats, and his own NBA team.

A decade after he retired, Michael Jordan still makes $80 million a year.

Source: Forbes



That's way more than he made in salary while he played. He made ~$90 million TOTAL in NBA salary.

Source: Basketball-Reference



His net worth is $650 million, thanks to a bevy of endorsement deals.

Source: Forbes



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

25 Unbelievable Travel Destinations You Never Knew Existed

0
0

Jiu zhai gou in China

There are some tourist attractions that can't be missed: The Vatican in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Westminster Abbey in London.

These are the kinds of places friends and family expect travelers to go.

But there are plenty of places to see that are under the radar; often known only by locals.

Inspired by this Quora list asking about the best travel destinations most people never knew existed, we put together our own list of the 25 hidden gems around the world that are worth the trek.

Hike the Haiku Stairs in Oahu, Hawaii — also known as "The Stairway to Heaven"— a steep trail with a wooden ladder spiked into the side of a cliff. Technically it's not open for public use, but people still climb it, and rave about the views from the top.



Dive into the clear blue water of the Hinatuan River on the Philippine island of Mindanao. The saltwater river is nicknamed the "Enchanted River" because it appears to run from the middle of nowhere, and is ideal for snorkelers and divers.



Explore the mysterious "crooked forest" of Western Poland, with 400 pine trees all growing with a 90-degree bend at the base. The reason behind the curved trees remains unknown to this day.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

15 Video Games From 2013 Everyone Should Play

0
0

Assassin's Creed open world explore screenshot

Three major factors combined to make 2013 for a great year for gamers.

First off, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 received a final flurry of exclusive games before the arrival of their successors. That final wave contained a solid mix of experimental titles like "Beyond: Two Souls" and blockbusters like "Grand Theft Auto V."

Next up, Nintendo released a number of exciting games on its 3DS and Wii U platforms, including critical and user favorites "Pokemon X and Y" and "Super Mario 3D World."

Finally, there was huge growth in support for independently made games with a focus on narrative over gameplay mechanics. With the help of Steam and the Humble Store, these indie titles were able to achieve far more exposure than they would have in years past.

Bioshock Infinite combined exciting gameplay with an engrossing story that looks at issues like nationalism and racism in early 1900s America.

See a trailer for Bioshock Infinite >>

Available on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360



Grand Theft Auto V's multiple characters and ways of tackling heists brought an unprecedented amount of freedom and choice to a series known for its open and interactive worlds.

See our review roundup for Grand Theft Auto V >>

Available on: PS3, Xbox 360



Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag took a massive departure from its predecessors by changing its focus from cities in Europe and the Middle East to the islands of the Caribbean.

Critics couldn't get enough of the game's naval travel and combat.

See our review roundup for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag >>

Available on: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These Maps Show The Complete Story Of America's Boom, Collapse, And Amazing Comeback

0
0

philly fed map

In recent weeks, most of the incoming economic data has been positive, and some economists estimate that U.S. GDP is currently running at a 4% growth rate.

But as a country made up of 50 states, some regions are doing better than others.

And according to the Philly Fed's updated new measure of state coincident indices, economic activity actually decreased in three states during the three months ending in November.

Every month, the Philly Fed produces fantastic color-coded maps tracking economic activity across the country. Red shows economic contraction while blue or green show expansion.

The maps start in 2005 when the economy was booming.

January 2005



February 2005



March 2005



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

You Can't Go Anywhere In China Without Seeing Images Of Mao

0
0

artist paints mao

China celebrated the 120th birthday of Mao Zedong today.

Many have drawn parallels between president Xi Jinping and Mao, especially now that Xi has taken to hardening Party indoctrination.

Mao has become a powerful symbol for leftists in the Communist Party.

"In venerating Mao, they sometimes seek to put pressure on the current leadership and its market-oriented policies while managing to avoid expressing open dissent," write Ben Blanchard and Benjamin Kang Lim at Reuters

To mark his birth, Chinese leaders bowed three times in front of the statue of Mao and visited his mausoleum.

And 37 years after his death, Mao's presence is still felt and seen all over China.

A portrait of Mao is seen at the Democracy Elementary and Middle School in Sitong town, where students are required to sing revolutionary songs and recite quotations from Mao's Little Red Book.



A giant peter of Mao is seen at a thermal power plant in Nanjie village in China's central Henan province. The village is said to be one of the last remaining models of communist China where collectivism still guides daily life.



This statue of Mao in his youth in Changsha, Hunan province was unveiled to the public in 2009.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Microsoft Cofounder Paul Allen Finally Sells His Private Island For A Discounted $8 Million

0
0

paul allen private island

Microsoft cofounder and billionaire tech investor Paul Allen has finally sold his 292-acre private island off the coast of Washington, according to the listing on Redfin (via Curbed Seattle).

Allen had reportedly tried to sell the island for years, first listing it in 2005 for $25 million and dropping the price to $13.5 million in 2011.

The final listing price for the land was $8 million, though a final sale price and buyer have not yet surfaced.

The property, Allan Island, is named after a Navy hero and not its former owner, according to the Examiner. The island is accessible by private plane or boat, and while it has a log caretaker's cabin, it has no main house—though there are plenty of scenic spots on which to build one.

A bird's eye view of 292-acre Allan Island.



It sits off the coast of the city of Anacortes, Wash., near Skyline Marina between Burrows Bay and Rosario Strait.



There's a log caretaker's cabin, but no main house.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 25 Most Expensive Teams To See In Person

0
0

Tom Brady

Using data collected by Team Marketing during surveys of teams in the four major North American sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) we created the Adult Cost Index (ACI) which is how much it might cost one fan to attend a game

Similar to Team Marketing's Fan Cost Index (FCI), which looks at the cost of attending a game for a family of four, the ACI is the cost for a single fan to purchase an average-priced ticket, one beer, one soft drink, one hot dog, and half the cost of parking at the stadium. The biggest difference between the FCI and ACI is that we have removed the extraneous costs (e.g. caps, programs) and assume the fan shares the cost of parking with one other person.

On the next few pages we'll take a closer look at the 25 most expensive teams. The list includes four teams from the NBA, three from the NHL, 18 from the NFL, and no MLB teams.

#25 Boston Celtics — $106.71 PER PERSON

League: NBA

Average ticket: $72.96

Fan Cost Index*: $420.84

* Fan Cost Index (FCI) uses the same data but is calculated for a family of four and requires the purchase of additional items such as programs and caps.

Data via TeamMarketing.com



#24 Miami Heat — $109.00 PER PERSON

League: NBA

Average ticket: $72.50

Fan Cost Index*: $445.00

* Fan Cost Index (FCI) uses the same data but is calculated for a family of four and requires the purchase of additional items such as programs and caps.

Data via TeamMarketing.com



#23 New Orleans Saints — $109.99 PER PERSON

League: NFL

Average ticket: $74.99

Fan Cost Index*: $461.96

* Fan Cost Index (FCI) uses the same data but is calculated for a family of four and requires the purchase of additional items such as programs and caps.

Data via TeamMarketing.com



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

35 Reasons Elon Musk Is The Most Badass CEO In America

0
0

elon musk battery swap presentation

Tesla Motors is riding high right now.

Its Model S sedan is among the safest cars on the road. Its Supercharger network is rapidly expanding across the country.

In 2013, it was the most searched automaker on Google.

At the helm is CEO Elon Musk, the South African-born self-made billionaire who is also the CEO of private space venture SpaceX, the chairman of sustainable energy company SolarCity, and the father of five young boys.

Musk is the inspiration for the Tony Stark character of the "Iron Man" movies. He knows how to have a good time when he's on top, and doesn't hold back when he's criticized.

Elon Musk is America's most badass CEO, and these photos prove it.

Elon Musk is only 41, and he's worth $6.7 billion, according to Forbes.

[Source: Forbes]



Elon Musk is the American dream. Born in South Africa, Musk moved to Canada and then the United States.




Musk's first big success was PayPal, which he helped create. eBay bought the company for $1.5 billion in 2002.

[Source: CNET]



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 15 Companies That Frustrate Americans The Most

0
0

united airlines boeing dreamliner 787

Some companies just can’t make their customers happy, and many of the companies are the kind that customers find it hardest to escape.

The latest survey results from the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which looks at hundreds of big companies, show that telecom companies, airlines, and social media sites are most likely to frustrate people.

In defense of these industries, no one notices them when things go well, but people get outraged when they lose service or get stuck for hours at an airport.

On the other hand, these industries often have customers locked down and don't have to worry about making them happy.

14. (tie) T Mobile

Rated 68/100

According to the ACSI, the biggest frustrations people have with their cellphone providers are the experience of getting customer service via call centers, data speed, and the range of plans available.

T Mobile was the sole company to decline among wireless phone-service companies and the lowest rated overall. 

"It remains to be seen whether T-Mobile's recent move to become the first national wireless carrier to forgo contracts can make things better,"writes the ACSI.

Rating and commentary from ACSI. 



14. (tie) Delta

Rated 68/100

Complaints about airlines often focus on poor service and mounting fees. Mergers also tend to lead to bad ratings.

"Delta continues to rebound from a two-year customer satisfaction free fall following its acquisition of Northwest in 2009," the ACSI reports. 

Delta is up three points from last year and is the best-rated legacy carrier. 

Rating and commentary from ACSI. 



11. (tie) Cox Communications television service

Rated 65/100

TV services tend to be unpopular and struggle to compete with satellite and fiber optic providers like DirectTV or Verizon. Customers are also irked by sales tactics that attract new customers with low rates and then boost them much higher later.

Cox, the fourth-worst rated TV service, was hurt by rising rates and increasing fees, according to the ACSI. The company performs better as an ISP (68) and phone service (74).

Ratings and commentary from ACSI. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

HOUSE OF THE DAY: Reese Witherspoon Sells Her California Ranch At A Major Loss

0
0

reese witherspoon california homeAfter more than a year on the market, actress Reese Witherspoon has sold her Ojai, Calif. home at a $816,500 loss, according to real estate blogger The Real Estalker.

Witherspoon listed the ranch in Sept. 2012 for $10 million, just weeks after it appeared on the cover of Elle Decor.

She later dropped the price to $5.9 million, but the still-unknown buyer bought it for just $4,983,500, according to The Real Estalker.

That's far less than the $5.8 million Witherspoon paid for the home when she bought it in 2008 from designer Kathryn Ireland, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The home has nine bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

Meredith Galante contributed to this post.

Welcome to Libbey Ranch. The home was built in 1923.



The ranch is Mediterranean-style, designed by the famed Wallace Neff.



Actor/director Harold Ramis of "Ghostbusters" owned the home before Ireland and Witherspoon, respectively.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This is LINE, The Super Popular Messaging App That's Worth $11 Billion

0
0

line app

LINE is a messaging app that lets users make free voice calls and send free text messages from anywhere in the world on desktops or smartphones. 

Like WeChat and WhatsApp, LINE is especially popular overseas, where many carriers don't offer unlimited texting.

The app has one interesting source of revenue: stickers. LINE has over 5,000 stickers and emoticons in its own app store for customers to send to friends. These icons are so popular LINE was able to use them to raise over $500,000 for hurricane relief in the Philippines this year. 

Line, which is based in Tokyo, is valued at about $11 billion and could go public next year, according to the Wall Street JournalIt launched a little over two years ago and now has 300 million users. LINE is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows, and Nokia.

The app will ask you to create a profile. Click the white New Users button if this is your first time.



Type in an email address and password.



Once that part of the process is completed, you'll get an email asking you to verify the account.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

24 People Who Decide What's 'Cool' In America

0
0

Jenna Lyons

The fashion industry is filled with designers, celebrities, journalists, stylists, and executives vying for influence. 

We've selected the best of the best and created a list of who determines what's cool in America. 

Some of the people who made the list are controversial public figures who move fashion trends based on what they wear. Others are executives who run multi-billion dollar companies. 

Everyone on the list is a magnate in their own right. 

Angela Ahrendts

Job title: CEO, Burberry 

Influence: Ahrendts solidified Burberry's position as one of the most aspirational brands in the world. Since becoming CEO, she's signed top spokesmodels like Emma Watson. In October, Apple poached Ahrendts to run its retail and online stores, a job she'll officially start next spring. There are even rumors that she could become the tech giant's next CEO.



Tom Brady

Job title: Quarterback, New England Patriots

Influence: Brady, known for his preppy-casual style, is one of the few fashion icons whom most men can relate to. He's landed fashion campaigns with Movado watches and Ugg shoes



Thom Browne

Job title: Fashion designer

Influence: Browne's menswear collection is groundbreaking because it is based around the newfound acceptance of business casual in workplaces. He also designed First Lady Michelle Obama's inaugural jacket. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Best And Worst Dressed Players In The NBA

0
0

russell westbrook

Over the past couple of seasons, NBA players have gone a little crazy with their fashion.

Patterned shirts and lenseless glasses are all the rage among players like Russell Westbrook, but there are still a few guys who dress with a classic style.

Guys like Kobe, Deron Williams, and Tony Parker keep it fresh in classic suits and they are the true best dressed players in the NBA. But on the other side of that, some of the players either have way too much going on, or just look like slobs.

BEST: Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets keeps it simple



WORST: Tim Duncan of the Spurs is stuck in the '90s, or something



BEST: Steve Nash of the Lakers goes for the classic look



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Biggest Box-Office Bombs Of 2013

0
0

grudge match robert de niro sylvester stallone

Despite big hits from studios, 2013 was really the year of the box-office bomb.

Currently, the Rocky vs. Raging Bull-esque "Grudge Match" and Justin Bieber's "Believe" both opened to weak Christmas debuts.

Keanu Reeves' return in "47 Ronin" is off to an $8 million start, and has a long way to go to reach its estimated $225 million budget for Universal.

We've gone through this year's box office releases to round up the biggest flops. 

From failed young adult novel adaptations to Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger films that belonged in the '80s, here are the year's biggest duds, surprises, and misses.

22. "Kick-Ass 2" (Universal)

Budget: $28 million
Worldwide gross: $59.6 million
Opening weekend: $13.3 million

While the movie ended up making nearly $60 million, it was an upset compared to the box-office intake of 2010's first movie which brought in $96 million. Without Nicolas Cage, the addition of Jim Carrey didn't prove a big enough draw to make this sequel a bigger success than the original.

(Source: Box Office Mojo)



21. The Last Exorcism 2" (CBS Films)

Budget: $5 million
Worldwide gross: $15.1 million
Opening weekend: $7.7 million

When one low-budget horror movie does well in theaters, it often warrants a sequel (look at the successful "Paranormal Activity" franchise and this year's "The Purge"). 

"The Last Exorcism" won't be among those. Though the first film from Lionsgate made nearly $70 million on a measly $1.8 million budget, this year's sequel — which cost $5 million — only managed to triple the studio budget.

(Source: Box Office Mojo)



20. "The Host" (Open Road Films)

Budget: $40 million
Worldwide gross: $48.2 million
Opening weekend: $10.6 million

Many thought "The Host" was supposed to be the next "Twilight" series cash cow at theaters since the novel also came from author Stephenie Meyer. However, the alien-romance story didn't take off with audiences — "Twilight" made $392.6 million worldwide on a $37 million budget.

The search for the next young-adult adaptation movie franchise continues.

(Source: Box Office Mojo)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

17 Incredibly Impressive Students At The University of Texas

0
0

Jordan Metoyer University of Texas

The school slogan at the University of Texas at Austin is "what starts here changes the world."

These 17 students don't just aspire to this motto, they live it.

From cross-country cyclists to environmentalists to small business owners, these Texas Longhorns have proven that they're more than ready to change the world.

Jon Cozart is a YouTube video star.

Class of 2015

When Jon Cozart started at UT, he had about a quarter of a million YouTube subscribers; now he has 1.5 million subscribers, and over 90 million views on his viral, musical videos. He’s sold over 100,000 songs on iTunes, all of which were recorded in his bedroom.

The internet phenomenon from Little Rock, Ark., spent last summer touring different conventions around the world, including the Harry Potter convention and LeakyCon, where he sat on a panel about making YouTube videos and performed his videos and musics for thousands of people. 

At UT, Cozart performs in a short-form improv comedy group called Gigglepants. A talented writer, Cozart hones his skills through elective English, poetry writing, playwriting, and Shakespearean literature classes.

Cozart plans to move to LA when he graduates to dive headfirst into the film and television industry. He plans to continue his YouTube stardom while launching a career in writing and acting.



Holland Finley is revamping emergency response services to make campus a safer place.

Class of 2014

When business student Holland Finley dialed 9-1-1 for a classmate suffering from a medical condition, the call went to a city operator, not campus police. The dispatchers didn't know the names of the University buildings and struggled to locate Finley quickly — making a scary situation that much more frightening.

The Austin native channeled the ordeal into reforming UT's emergency response services. She worked with developers who created a UT smartphone app to fortify available safety information, and helped to modify campus maps that could be used for reference when speaking to emergency services. Her efforts to improve dialogue between UT and the City of Austin's emergency responders has helped students get the help they need, fast.

Finley, a Tri-Delt sister and and former UT all-girls squad cheerleader, is also a collegiate national wakeboarding champion. A former world titleholder, she consistently places on the podium alongside the guys.

Finley has accepted a job at Bain & Company in Dallas after she graduates in the spring. She would eventually like to go back to school to earn a law degree and an MBA.



Katie Floyd translates historical documents written in colloquial 18th century Spanish.

Class of 2015

Katie Floyd took on the most hands-on research apprenticeship of her college career — handling the translation of original 18th and 19th century documents regarding the first fine arts school established in Latin America under the Spanish crown from old world colloquial Spanish to English.

Floyd, a Latin American studies major, got special permission from the UT Library to sit in the rare books room nearly 10 hours a week to see the texts. The most challenging part of the project was not actually translating but deciphering the script, which were handwritten in shorthand and idiomatic Spanish and hadn't been looked at in centuries.

The self-described aspiring "Renaissance woman" has traveled extensively through Central and South America, and for seven summers has worked at an orphanage in the highland mountains of Guatemala.

Two years ago she founded Campamento de Paz, a summer camp for underprivileged children on the west side of San Antonio. Many attendees belonged to single-parent homes and families attached to gang activity. Floyd set out to provide them with a constructive, creative alternative through the camp. Continuing on this path, Floyd hopes to someday work in policy or as an art historian, and support refugees.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Viewing all 61683 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images